Mekong NYC’s Response to Death of Beloved Community Member, Sary Mao

With heavy hearts, Mekong NYC mourns the loss of a cherished community member Sary Mao, who passed away last week at the age of 57. She was a survivor from the wars and genocide in Southeast Asia and a refugee resettling and calling The Bronx her home. As an active and loving community member of Mekong NYC for over ten years, Sary had been an advocate in several campaigns, including our campaign to Save FHC (the Family Health Center). Sary brought great joy and warmth to our space as a long-time member of our Women’s Circle, which regularly brought community women together to share healing spaces, learn from each other through workshops about arts and culture. She was also a deeply involved and  passionate member of the community’ local Cambodian Buddhist temple, Wat Jotanaram. Sary lifted the spirits of everyone in her presence, and her passing has devastated our community.

Last week, Sary was found dead in a Montefiore facility stairwell. Her body was not discovered until five days after she initially passed. There are currently many questions that remain unanswered about Sary’s death including how she passed and why her body was not discovered until five days later. However, what we do know is that Sary’s tragic death follows the long pattern of neglect and apathy by Montefiore towards the Southeast Asian community and our elders, along with other communities of color, in the Bronx. This pattern includes Montefiore's decision to consolidate the Family Health Center and two other local clinics last year, which has greatly impeded on our community’s access to adequate healthcare. We have several questions for Montefiore about Sary’s passing and we demand that Montefiore provide a full and transparent account of what happened, that Montefiore reassess their quality of care toward patients, and that Montefiore prioritize the community’s health and safety, rather than its own financial bottomline. 

In this time of mourning, we extend our deepest condolences to Sary’s family and friends as they grieve her loss. As we navigate this challenging moment and honor the life of Sary, Mekong NYC remains committed to bringing justice for Sary, and fighting to ensure that no other members of our community will face the same neglect and harm that Sary did. 

We will share further updates on next steps and events, including events to honor Sary’s memory such as her funeral service, as they become available.